Prayer of the Refugee
by OneWordStory
Summary: ToadOC:She saved him,he didn’t appreciate it very much,it was an embarrassment to be saved by a human.Two weeks together will see them to her organizations base and difficult decisions will have to be made.Guaranteed non-sue experience.
1. Chapter oo1

**Prayer of the Refugee**

_Summary_ : ToadOC:She saved him,he didn't appreciate it very much,it was an embarrassment to be saved by a weeks together will see them to her organizations base and difficult decisions will have to be non-sue experience.

**Warnings: **This story is going to contain coarse language, gore, violence, mentions of drug abuse, and sexually explicit content.

**Memo: **Just getting the story, this is a base into, so don't expect much. If your impatient and just clicking here for a flimsy plot, story and lots of smut, click away because you won't like this story. Guaranteed non-sue experience.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters of X-Men, just my originals and this story.

**Exalted Fans: **

_Chapter oo1_

"You know, I would almost say God hates you, but since you survived being struck by lightning and near-drowning, and I just so happened to come across your sorry ass while running for my life. Not to mention how I somehow managed to drag your, what, 175 pounds of dead weight to my jeep? I'd say someone damn well loves you," Natalya growled, "But your unconscious, so you do not really care about what I am saying, do you?"

She was doing her best to drag him without further damaging his leg which was bent at an exceedingly odd angle below the knee.

It wasn't going very well.

"Oh, and so you know, my jeep is under at least twenty-five yards of water, it is cold and only going get colder, an even if were able to get cell phone service all the way out here, my phone is gone. Also, congratulations, your right leg is severely damaged, and I doubt you will ever so much as walk again, let alone leap around like the maniac you are."

Natalya was a Russian beauty; with long, dark hair, deep dark eyes, and a slender but strong figure. Her legs were long and thin, breasts pert and perfect globes, her skin unmarred. She was a vision to most. Except a scowl was always hard-set on her face when she was not near her husband.

Needless to say, he wasn't there at the moment.

The deadweight of the green mutant's unconscious body seemed to get heavier by the second, forcing her to strain to continue to drag him. She was strong, but not that strong. If her jeep hadn't stalled, they'd probably have been okay, but she'd had to leave it and now it had been washed away.

"You are very lucky that I am not one to go back on promises."

She had made the same promise to several others, but he was the only one to which she would be keeping the promise. She'd gotten him away from Stryker, that was the promise.

By the time he woke up, that mind control shit should have worn off if it hadn't already. She drug him to a spot under a pine tree, one of the few placed not entirely covered by snow. Luckily, neither of them had gotten wet, so she would have to worry about it freezing on them.

She rested for a few seconds, debating whether it was more important to set his leg while he was unconscious, or get fire wood. She settled on firewood, she'd need to get a splint for his leg anyway.

Natalya collected all she could, as quickly as she could, but between the snow covering, and the beginnings of spring thaw dampening everything, finding usable wood was hard, but she managed to get a decent pile together after the better part of an hour, checking on the unconscious mutant every ten minutes or so.

His mutation was largely what worried her, she was no biologist, but she knew that few, if any, amphibians did well in the cold. But then, she had no way of knowing how close to his namesake his nature was, but she highly doubted he could contend well with the cold. He was already shivering rather violently, but there was little she could do… She shrugged off her uniform coat and removed the heavy vest under it to drape over him.

They had no supplies to speak of, just the clothes on their backs at this point, and they probably wouldn't survive the night with only the meager little fire she could manage. She checked his pulse, his breathing. She slit the side of his pants, looking his leg over. The flesh was angry and swollen, no surprise there. She sort of worried that he may be in a coma at this point since he hadn't stirred in so long.

He breath caught in her throat; she'd left her pack further down the path, and assumed it lost to the water. But there was the chance that it might not have been swept away, and that was their only chance for survival. However, she couldn't go look for it right then, his skin was colder than death, and if his leg managed to swell anymore, she wouldn't be able to fix it.

She started a fire with one of the matched from her vest pocket. She held his head up and attempted to dribble some water from her canteen down his throat. She'd kept it close to her chest in an attempt to make sure it kept thawed, ultimately though, this wasn't the smartest idea since if it had been much thinner it would have only severely lowered her core temperature.

Growing nervous, she moved down to his leg and removed her gloves. Her hands were shaking, but not from the cold so much as nervousness. Sure she had been trained for this sort of thing, but she had never actually… done it.

"This is going to hurt," she warned. Somehow, it just felt good to hear the sound of her own voice in the eerie little clearing where all sound was dampened by the surrounding snow. She sent up a silent prayer that she would do this right, and pulled.

Xx- I have to say, I've never written a very attractive OC before, this is new for me, actually.-xX

Xx-Review Please, but I won't be offended if you don't.-xX


	2. Chapter oo2

**Prayer of the Refugee**

_Summary_ : ToadOC:She saved him,he didn't appreciate it very much,it was an embarrassment to be saved by a weeks together will see them to her organizations base and difficult decisions will have to be non-sue experience.

**Warnings: **This story is going to contain coarse language, gore, violence, mentions of drug abuse, and sexually explicit content.

**Memo: **Just getting the story, this is a base into, so don't expect much. If your impatient and just clicking here for a flimsy plot, story and lots of smut, click away because you won't like this story. Guaranteed non-sue experience.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters of X-Men, just my originals and this story.

**Exalted Fans: **

_Chapter oo2_

The break was apparently very clean because it didn't take much shifting before it seemed it was back in place, and she wrapped it tightly to a stripped branch with what cloth she could spare from one of her shirts. He'd groaned, grunted, and twitched throughout the whole process. She was pleased with that, it meant he would likely wake-up relatively soon.

"I am going to go see if I can get my pack," she told him, "I will be back as soon as I can. I will not leave you."

She wasn't sure why she felt the need for the reassuring words, nor was she sure why she felt the need to gently squeeze his hand as she said it.

His fingers were cold as death. She frowned.

She tossed a few more pieces of wood on the fire before she headed back towards the way they had come. It took about twenty minutes for her to find the pack. It was black, and the recent light covering of snow had made it look like a rock making her walk past it at least three times.

With a smile she put one the heavy pack and jogged back to the pine tree. She was just about back to their little encampment when she head a very rough-sounding voice shouting and cursing almost incoherently. If he'd woken up, he was probably feeling his injuries. His broken leg wasn't his only ailment, after all. Calling on her quickly depleting reserve of strength, she forced a short sprint out of her legs.

He was thrashing around, a wild, pained look on his faced as he tried and failed to get up again and again. Natalya could only stare with a hard, irritated scowl on her face. He was like a child throwing a tantrum. Sure he was in pain, but she was pretty sure he wasn't stupid. At least, that was her thought until he started yanking at his splint, realizing that was largely the reason he could not bend his leg to get up.

"What are you, crazy? Leave that alone!" she hurled her pack off to the side and pounced on him, forcing her body over his, and trying to force his hand away from the splint. She realized quickly that he was infinitely stronger than she was, even though once she had pounced he had largely stopped struggling.

He stared at the woman holding his wrists, dumbly, seeming to be in a stupor, his bizarre oversized eyes glazed and vacant. He didn't know where he was, or what was going on. He might as well have been blind.

Quite abruptly her fell backwards, eyes closing lazily as he fell into unconsciousness.

Hesitantly, she let go of his wrists and got off of him. She laughed loudly, but the humor in it was minimal. She hadn't known the brit had such a mouth on him, and her severely stressed mind though what had just happened was hilarious.

Sighing she got her pack, untying the sleeping bag. It seemed to pop open with how tightly it had been rolled up.

She threw some more sticks on the fire. There was a very small hatchet in her pack, but with the sun going down, there was no time to add to the meager pile of firewood.

She unzipped the sleeping bag and laid it out, working to get Toad onto it without disturbing his leg or waking him up. She took the liberty of taking off his coat, pants, and boots, as well as her own. And as quickly as she could, she zipped up the sleeping bag, clothes overtop it.

Their top layers of clothes had been covered in snow, and they couldn't risk having it melt and freeze on them. She figured it was better for him anyway, his body was so cold… her body should warm his up, and without the inhibiting layer of a goose-down jacket, her body heat would be far better shared.

It was more than a little strange being this close to a man besides her husband, and strange was the chosen word from discounting the fact that the man in question was clinically insane, quite ugly, slightly slimy, and a homicidal mutant terrorist. But if she didn't do this, at least one of them would die. Besides, she was too physically exhausted to dwell on the fact.

She only hoped he wouldn't wake up and start thrashing around again.

Xx-Review Please, but I won't be offended if you don't.-xX


	3. Chapter oo3

**Prayer of the Refugee**

_Summary_ : ToadOC:She saved him,he didn't appreciate it very much,it was an embarrassment to be saved by a weeks together will see them to her organizations base and difficult decisions will have to be non-sue experience.

**Warnings: **This story is going to contain coarse language, gore, violence, mentions of drug abuse, and sexually explicit content.

**Memo: **Just getting the story, this is a base into, so don't expect much. If your impatient and just clicking here for a flimsy plot, story and lots of smut, click away because you won't like this story. Guaranteed non-sue experience.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters of X-Men, just my originals and this story.

**Exalted Fans: **ebell1

_Chapter oo3_

" 'Spose you 'spect a 'thank you'…"

She blinked a few times, she'd been around Toad enough to know his voice. "What?"

Toad was standing over her, looking blurry and strange through the veil of sleep.

"Too bad I didn't 'preciate the savin' much."

She felt a sharp pain in her upper arm, and a suffocating weight on her chest. Blood bubbled around the knife in her arm, and he smirked down at her from where he had plopped down on her chest.

Then he suddenly leaded down and nuzzled her neck, breathing in her scent, "It'll be fun killing you, pet." The pain in her arm slowly faded.

Natalya awoke groggily. She could feel hot breath on her neck; his torso was draped over hers, explaining the crushing weight. How had he gotten on top of her so suddenly, and without waking her up. The pain in her arm was inexplicable, however. Looking it over, she saw nothing wrong with it.

The Russian pushed him off gently, but with urgency spurned from disgust. Even if he were not so ugly, so creepy, so crazy; he smelled unwashed and his breath held the edge of sickness.

This had just gotten a hell of a lot harder; how could she deal with him being sick as well? She had no medicine whatsoever, and a cold could quickly become something much worse in such a place. The fire had gone out, and while his body felt too hot, he was shivering.

Great.

She really should have left him to die, no one would have missed him, she reasoned, hell, no one would miss him now. Now he was a useless burden.

She could get to civilization on her own; easily save herself, but what would she do if she remained with the feverish mutant with the broken leg?

Looking to the sky, she was almost knocked over by the brightness of the stars on the inky black that showed through the tree branches. Her breath billowed over her face, and she unconsciously hunkered down into the sleeping bag.

'I can not leave him, it would not be right. Michael would not leave someone like this." She thought of him then; her husband with is kind green eyes, his dark hair, his bronze skin and strong arms. What she wouldn't have given then to have been with him then instead of there with Toad of all possible beings.

She was not the religious person he was, but she closed her eyes and prayed then, for him, for herself, and even for the miserable brit laying beside her. She would not abandon anyone out here, she couldn't. Even knowing of all the horrible things he had done, even if she was utterly disgusted to be touching that weirdly slimy skin, even though she figured he'd kill her if he got half a chance…

She couldn't value his life as any less than hers.

Perhaps she was foolish in that way.

She spent most of the next morning setting traps and snares, stupidly ignoring her hunger with the thought of preserving what little rations she had. Now she felt sick as she scouted for a new place to stay, and tossed firewood on the makeshift sled of a heavily needled pine branch. She would probably be able to drag Toad on it if she had to.

With all the sweating she was doing she wasn't going to smell much better than him by the time they went to sleep. She grimaced at the memory of his clammy, slimy skin rubbing against hers.

She lugged her second haul of wood back to their little encampment, half-hoping she wouldn't find a more suitable place because then she would probably have to move the wood. Glancing over at him while stacking up the wood, she saw he was almost half-way out of the sleeping bag, obviously awake.

She turned, and for a long moment, just stared at him. He didn't acknowledge that she was there, but she wasn't sure if that was because he was out of it, or didn't care.

She cleared her throat.

Xx-Review Please, but I won't be offended if you don't.-xX


	4. Chapter oo4

**Prayer of the Refugee**

_Summary_ : ToadOC:She saved him,he didn't appreciate it very much,it was an embarrassment to be saved by a weeks together will see them to her organizations base and difficult decisions will have to be non-sue experience.

**Warnings: **This story is going to contain coarse language, gore, violence, mentions of drug abuse, and sexually explicit content.

**Memo: TERRIBLY WRITTEN CHAPTER! I am yet to get back into Toad's character, I will improve though, DO NOT FEAR!**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters of X-Men, just my originals and this story.

**Exalted Fans: **ebell1

_Chapter oo4_

He blanched at the noise and looked over at her. His eyes went wide for half a second before his expression turned feral and angry. "Who tha fuck are you?!"

Natalya held her hands up defensively, "Calm yourself, I am not going to-"

"Maybe ya didn't 'ear me. Who… tha… fuck… are…YOU?!" he spat, plasing heavy emphasis on every word.

"That is not any of your concern, really, I am the person who saved your life, and you need not know more than that."

"Cor, shove it, woman. Tell me who the bloody 'ell you are, or-"

"What, you will fight me? Kill me? You try to fight me in your condition, and your leg will become so damaged I doubt that you would ever walk again. Besides, then you would just be alone."

"No, I-" he stopped, seeming to maul that over, "Yer one o Stryker's, yer not takin' me back." His words sounded calm and even, but his eyes remained feral and wild.

She blinked, then did so again, then realized she was still in uniform. It was no wonder he was so uneasy. But how did he think he had come to be there? Did he think one of the brotherhood had saved him? She knew he was too smart for that, that he knew his comrades better.

"I am not with Stryker, I never really was. I was simply a spy, but that aside, he is dead anyway. The base is gone."

He couldn't help but take notice of the way this strange woman spoke; slowly, strongly, and deliberately. Much the way Magneto tended to speak, but without the.. More… abjective wording.

"Then why are you 'ere?"

She shrugged, "Because that is my pack, that is my sleeping bag, and this is my pile of firewood," she said matter-of-factly, pointing to each thing in turn. There was no real tone to her voice just then. "And you are my charge."

She had a light accent, Russian he guessed. "Why would you 'elp me?" he demanded, suspicion evident in his voice.

She waved her hand as if to wave away his suspicions of her, "Because you needed it." She turned to her bag and started to rummage through it. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

He was, his leg ached, his ribs were bruised, his head throbbed, his throat was raw and sore, but he did not respond to the question.

"Are you allergic to asprin?"

He continued to eye her with suspicion, and she chuckled, tossing the canteen and pill bottle his way. "Take care of yourself then." Despite what she said, she tossed him one of her three MREs. "I am going to go scout to the East for someplace with actual cover. Stay off your damn leg if you ever want to use it again. I am not going to make any moves against you, I only want to help."

Her voice softened towards the end. She hopes to sound sincere, but he only glared after her as she disappeared among the trees, just as suspicious of her intent as he had been. How was she supposed to do this?

There was an old cabin to the west, but she wanted to be a little more sure of Toad before she dared to move there. Both his leg and his intent worried her.

When she got back, he was asleep again. He'd eaten everything in the MRE, and her water was gone so she briefly left again to refill the canteen. She sat with him for about an hour after; he was a fitful sleeper, his nightmares probably stemming from his fever. At least that's what she figured. She held her hand in the snow for a few moments, turning and putting her now half-numbed hand on his forehead. It warmed up almost instantly, but he calmed; opening one eye to stare at her coldly. As if something were her fault.

"Don' touch me, human" he spat, voice rough.

Natalya scowled at him, "Your human too."

He ignored her.

"I am going to check the traps before the sun goes down," she told him tiredly, doubting he cared, "If I do not come back… well," she offered him a grim smile, "You will probably die if I do not return."

No response.

Toad just lay there, sinking into the confines of the sleeping bag when he got irritated with the slow numbing of his face from the cold. Why was she helping him? That was the question to ponder. She had to see him as being valuable for something. Information maybe? But Stryker had forced him to tell all.

But she claimed not to be one of Stryker's minions, but a spy. He could sort of believe that, it didn't seem that Stryker was one to chose a lot of women, and in the uniform she appeared male so long as she wore all of the gear. Regardless of her loyalties though… information was the only thing he could possibly be good for. She would surly realize that he wouldn't fight for her, help her in anyway.

Was her reason for this to befriend him and get him to do what she wanted through loyalty in that respect? She would be wasting her time should that be the case; but then, she wasn't exactly acting friendly.

If anything… she was cold.

He would keep a close eye on her, figure out her plan before she had a chance to enact it.

Xx-As if there's anything else TO look at… Review Please.-xX


	5. Chapter oo5

**Prayer of the Refugee**

_Summary_ : ToadOC:She saved him,he didn't appreciate it very much,it was an embarrassment to be saved by a weeks together will see them to her organizations base and difficult decisions will have to be non-sue experience.

**Warnings: **This story is going to contain coarse language, gore, violence, mentions of drug abuse, and sexually explicit content.

**Memo: **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters of X-Men, just my originals and this story.

**Exalted Fans: **ebell1

_Chapter oo5_

She'd caught some sort of bird. She knew what they were called, but the name eluded her at the moment. It looked like a white plumed quail. Despite the plumage, the bird was abysmally scrawny. Had it not already been dead, she would have released it, but she saw no sense in wasting food.

By the time she got back, she'd grown bitter over it's basically pointless death. "Get out of that thing. I need to see your leg." She tossed the bird corpse near the fire and dropped down on her knees next to him, yanking the zipper open impatiently.

He inwardly blanched but kept his composure well, "Cor, who do you think ya are? You can't jist-"

Cold air blasted against his side. "You know, Toad, I was a spy, I read through quite a few portions of Stryker's database," she undid the collar of her jacket and shirt, bearing her neck to him, a dark scowl firmly set on her face, she was not in the mood for his foolishness, "Control me. Order me to do what I intend to, and I shall, and you will have the security you need. If you are so damned afraid of me, do it."(1)

Her expression had turned fierce; teeth bared, eyes blazing. He glared at her a moment before turning his glare to the open air. "Been under Stryker's control. I've 'ad enough o mind control fer a while," he growled lowly. (2)

"Then would you be so accommodating as to cooperate with me for ten minutes?"

He gave her a stony look, inwardly unsettled by the thought of her examining him while he was only in his last layers of clothing; a long sleeved shirt and boxers. She prodded his leg making him inwardly flinch whenever she touched a tender spot, but he was sure not to give an outward indication that he felt pain. Pain would be a sign of weakness, at least, that was what it was in his mind.

"You know, by not letting me know when it hurts, you are almost making this pointless," she chided, "Can you feel this?" she pressed her thumbnail into a bruise as hard as she could, getting a sharp inhale from him. "Good."

"It looks like you are going to be okay," she said, trying to force some happiness into her voice, she sorely wanted to wash her hands now. She pulled her jacket and pants off. What she wouldn't have given for a shower right about then. She zipped up the sleeping bag some and got in with him. He jerked away from her, puffing up indignantly, which succeeded only in making him look more toad-like than usual.

Natalya ignored him, largely unfazed. He should have been flattered; ugly and foul-tempered as the prick was, he was probably a virgin. Hell, he should have been HONORED that even a moderately attractive woman was near him, let alone someone as lovely as herself.

The Russian was not ignorant of her beauty, and was actually fairly vain, with an added tendency of flirting with men she shouldn't have simply because she could. Never had she been shy of her body and, on many occasions, she had used it to get something she wanted.

"Wot the fuck are ya doin'?!" He did not seem to have the capacity to simply silently fume, and had to voice his every annoyance and irritation.

She finished zipping up the sleeping bag, "Keeping you warm, attempting to keep us alive; why, does that bother you?" The look he gave her could have made a bear run the other way in fear.

She mentally cursed, a cold coil of fear snaking through her heart. Natalya could hold a strong face well enough, her training had taught her how to do that, years of witnessing and dealing death had mostly cemented the skill. "I am no more happy to have those slimy legs of yours touching mine than you are about having a 'disgusting little human' this close to you, but it is our only choice if we are to survive."

This information made him no less annoyed, "You stink."

Her face went red with embarrassment and silent fury, "Piss off, you do not exactly smell like daises yourself, you slimy, disgusting, ugly bastard."

His face darkened and her heart jumped painfully into her throat, thinking he was about to snap her neck for the comment. This was the most angry she'd seen him.

Toad's hands were just itching to snap that swan-like neck, to have that pretty mouth filled with blood, to see those full lips split and broken, somehow, beautiful people got stock from a special reserve of hatred of his; but he resisted the urge to harm her. He probably wouldn't make it very long on his own until he could use his leg again. It could wait. "Bloody bitch," he muttered, not content with such a weak retaliation, but still slightly appeased.

"Warty bastard," she shot back.

"Once I can," he snarled, "You will be the first on I kill, luv, that's a promise."

"Do not make a promise you can not keep."

He bristled, insulted. Did she think that he wouldn't? Couldn't? She'd be dead right now if he so chose to make it so.

The air around them seemed to drop a few degrees with the icy look he gave her. To an outsider, it probably would have looked funny, the two of them bickering like this but just laying crammed in a sleeping bag almost on top of each other. Like a lover's spat with the possibility of more underlying violence than two people should be capable of.

Of course, if it came down to a physical fight, Toad would win, even badly injured, he would win. So she would try not to goad him so much.

"And wot makes you think I can't?"

She turned her whole body to face his, half-attempting to stare him down, "It is not that you cannot, I simply think you will not when the time comes. I would like to think… even someone like you is better than that."

He immediately scoffed, but no more was said.

Xx-Please Review, Guys-xX

Important Info:

(1) Yeah, Toad can actually produce a chemical that allows him power over someone's mind for a time. However, he can only produce it from his tongue and his tendency as I have scene is to wrap it around people's necks. So that's what I'm playing on.

(2) Okay, if you read the X-2 script, Toad was originally in it, and there was an epic fight between him and Nightcrawler. Sadly, this was cut. Also, it's said he was under Stryker's control for the time spanning between X-1 and X-2 and for the largest portion of X-2.


	6. Chapter oo6

**Prayer of the Refugee**

_Summary_ : ToadOC:She saved him,he didn't appreciate it very much,it was an embarrassment to be saved by a weeks together will see them to her organizations base and difficult decisions will have to be non-sue experience.

**Warnings: **This story is going to contain coarse language, gore, violence, mentions of drug abuse, and sexually explicit content.

**Memo: **YEAH YEAH, I KNOW, IT'S GOING SLOW!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters of X-Men, just my originals and this story.

**Exalted Fans: **ebell1//ObsidianNight

_Chapter oo6_

Natalya got up at sunrise the next day and went to the cabin to look around. No one was there, and it was obviously a regularly used place. The cabinets were stocked with a fair amount of unperishables at least. And as outraged as it made her, when she had gone back, she had found Toad dressed and limping around.

"How far do you think you can get?" she asked him after they ate.

He looked over at her, at least showing that he was listening.

"There is a cabin not very far from her. Perhaps a fifteen minute walk," she eyed his leg, he really shouldn't be moving quite that much, but they didn't really have a whole lot of choice. "I can help you if you need it."

"Won't." His voice sounded so rough, as if he hadn't used it in months. He was defiantly ill.

Damn it.

"Alright, I believe you." She worried for him, but maternal passion aside her reasoning did not go beyond being upset if her work was wasted by his death. All she needed was a phone, then she could call Chel or Stacy and get them picked up.

"We goin' or aren't we?" His voice called her back to the task at hand. She realized she'd gotten lost in thought.

"If you are ready."

It was slow going and the trip probably would have been much more pleasant if Toad hadn't felt it was necessary to curse every other step and drive away her aid with a glare and a snarl. After about the third time, her response was to sigh exasperatedly and when the cabin was in sight she walked ahead of him, not feeling it was necessary to stay by his side.

First of all, he could take care of himself, second, he reeked and she didn't want anything more to do with him.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't even looked for a phone, or even a radio. There was no one living there at the moment as she had seen earlier, but she had been in such a hurry to get back, she had stupidly forgotten to check for a phone. She could have already called for help by now.

The interior of the cabin was bathed in warm colors; mostly deep reds and golds. One bed, one bath with a very large jacuzzi tub, a fireplace, and no obvious communication electronics.

This was a lover's retreat.

Damn it.

She went to the bed first, dragging out all that was under it, then went to the closet.

"Wot are ya lookin' for?" Toad leaned against the doorway, watching her with his usual degree of boredom and annoyance.

"There is no phone, we need a radio."

" 'Ow far is tha nearest town?"

"At least thirty-five miles."

"No car?"

"Not that I have seen."

He limped over to a chair and plopped down heavily. She felt compelled to say something about how pathetic he looked just to get a rise out of him, but refrained. It would not have been the smart thing to do.

He did not speak again, only glared at nothing in particular, appearing to be in deep thought while she went on looking. Her search turned up nothing.

"I am going to go out to the shed and see if there is wood for the fireplace," Natalya told him, "The water works, you should bathe."

She didn't mean anything by it, but he still seemed to take it as an insult.

It wasn't so much a shed as a small garage, and she again searched in vain for a telephone or radio. Whoever owned this cabin was fairly foolish, it was one thing to put away phones and devote a romantic vacation to your lover, it was another to isolate yourself with no way of contacting help in the outside world. Sighing, she grabbed as much wood as she could and headed back for the house.

Most of the electronics in the house were now piled on the low-set table in the living room. She looked around for Toad, intending to inquire as to why they were piled up, but she heard the water running in the bathroom so assumed that was where he had disappeared to. It wasn't as if there was much else to the cabin.

She decided not to bother him then and made a couple more trips to the woodshed before starting up the fire with a few pages from a book. She was sure not to rip out any of the important pages that pertained to the literature itself as it would have pained her to do so. When she was satisfied the flame was well tended, she went to the wardrobe.

There was very little within it, but she found a cream-colored sweater and some jeans that were a tad too big. She found underwear too, although the bra was too small. Natalya diguarded that.

Toad eventually hobbled out of the bathroom looking as ill-content as ever. He went so far as to shoot a few insults her way unprovoked. Unfazed, the Russian was slightly confused to not be able to scent any sort of soap on him as one usually could when being near someone who had just gotten out of a shower or bath. Was there none?

That was highly unfortunate. Perhaps it was just that he was back in his filthy uniform.

Disguarding her earlier question about the electronics, she walked past him and into the bathroom, closing and locking the door immediately behind herself. She wasn't shy, and really wouldn't have cared if he came in and watched her, it was just habit. Sitting on the edge of the tub, she observed that there was actually a fair variety of different soaps. Oh well, she was not going to criticize his bathing habits, she didn't care.

Crashing and banging were heard from the living room. She ignored the noise and settled into her bath.

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	7. Chapter oo7

**Prayer of the Refugee**

_Summary_ : ToadOC:She saved him,he didn't appreciate it very much,it was an embarrassment to be saved by a weeks together will see them to her organizations base and difficult decisions will have to be non-sue experience.

**Warnings: **This story is going to contain coarse language, gore, violence, mentions of drug abuse, and sexually explicit content.

**Memo: **FINNALLY! Things are starting to get interesting.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters of X-Men, just my originals and this story.

**Exalted Fans: **ebell1//ObsidianNight

_Chapter oo7_

She came out to find Toad sitting on the floor surrounded by what had been collected, their electronic guts were strewn across the floor like some horrible, mechanized battlefield. She almost laughed at the sight of the green giant among the demolished electronic city that made her think fleetingly of godzilla.

He held a growing mismatched cohilation of wires and random pieces all looking randomly glued together. Whatever it was didn't look like much, but what he had done was severely impressive for someone working only with pliers and his hands.

"What are you doing?"

He didn't answer for a long moment, and she started to think he wouldn't at all. "Wot's it look like? I'm makin' ya a radio."

"Me? Why not use it to call the Brotherhood to come get you?"

He didn't want to say they wouldn't come after him even if he could get a hold of them. "No one would respond to a radio signal," More like no one would respond to a call from a currently useless teammate.

She wasn't sure she believed that. "And you are trusting that I will not turn you in?"

"…Perhaps …a bit."

"Why?"

No answer. Maybe he didn't even know himself, she thought.

That was not the case, Toad had an at least shaky sort of trust in her because he had recognized the tattoo on her shoulder while she was undressing. A star interwoven of the red feathers of a Phoenix and the deep blue-green of a Quetzel. He'd seen that symbol before; it belonged to a pro-mutant organization that was sensationalized in the underground because of it's largely human involvement.

He didn't know a whole lot about the group, but it gave him a small bit of ease.

"Do you at least have everything you need?" she asked skeptically.

"Should."

"Good. I know you are ill, but do not hesitate to feign sleep for this. If you come with me to the base, I will make sure you are made well."

What a profoundly stupid bit of drivel. Besides just telling him that he could stay up -as if he were a child- it was simply a stupid sounding statement on its own. "It won't take me tha' long," he snapped, going so far as to roll his eyes.

Natalya left him alone after that, moving to tend the fire, then stretching out in front of it for a nap looking amusingly cat-like. It didn't take him long, either, in two hours they were tuning, trying to get on the frequency she wanted. He found it.

"Chel? Are you there?"

"Na-t-ya?" the makeshift radio crackled.

Natalya, so that was her name.

"Yes, I-"

"We… worried… you okay? …Happened?" Chel asked quickly. While her words were severely broken, Natalya could make out what she was saying fairly easily.

"Stryker's base is underwater, look, I am in a cabin west of where the base was. I need someone to come get me. I also have a guest, he is injured."

"…Repeat?"

She did so.

"Badly?"

She glanced to Toad who stared intently at the device he had made, hands resing on either side of it almost protectively. "Broken leg, but looking at him you would think it ws nothing."

He weirdly seemed to accept the compliment.

"We'll… too send… morning. …eye on …skies!"

"I will…. we will I suppose."

The connection cut off, leaving only muted static, and Natalya smiled at Toad. She genuinely pleased and surprisingly it was with him rather than rescue, and she was not afraid to admit it. "That was extremely clever, you are a genius. It is no wonder Magneto has you among his elite."

"It was jist a radio…" He was unused to compliments, and it made him feel oddly uncomfortable. She smiled more broadly and leaned forward to kiss him on both cheeks.

"Even so, my thanks to you, Toad. It is something I could not do."

He gaped at her, the first unguarded expression she had gotten from him, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared, melting into anger. "Don' touch me!" he snarled, but the delay made it seem like some random outburst. Not that that would have been uncharacteristic of him, so she simply brushed him off, not finding him to be truly threatening at the moment.

"You can have the bed if you like, I will sleep on the couch." Despite herself, Natalya was sort of socially inept, this was her way of thanking him.

He eyed her wearily. Were they back to that again so soon? " …'m hungry," he mumbled, limping towards the kitchen, "not tired."

She jumped in front of him, "You may sleep whenever you wish, never again if that is what you please. If you are hungry, sit down and I will make us food." She was insistent on thanking him.

The Russian could not accept this as a sort of re-payment for her saving his life, no, that had been her obligation, but what he had done was a great thing to her. While she didn't like him much, she couldn't ignore what he had done.

He glared at her, seeming quite indignant over her stepping in his way, "I'll do it m'self."

"Are you simply trying to appear masculine by denying help, or are you afraid that I will poison you?" She was jibbing him more than anything now, but it was a little too easy to get a rise out of someone like him.

He glowered at her, "No ya bloody commie, I just don' need ya to do nuthin' fer me. That simple enough fer ya to understand?"

"Not used to kindnesses then; maybe you are afraid."

"Afraid of you? I think not, luv."

"No, not of me, but you are afr-gak-" His obnoxiously long tongue was around her throat. She was more disgusted than surprised, but either way she did not thrash or fight him even as she felt her windpipe being slowly crushed.

"I ain't 'fraid o nuthin," he let her go, "I seen and been through stuff that would give you a lifetime o nightmares if you experienced just one. So stop sayin' I'm afraid."

Natalya wanted to laugh, she'd nearly frozen to death, been brutalized, beaten, raped, she had killed, she doubted he could have too much on her. That thick sort of sticky spit of his clung to her neck over a growing bruise and she realized she hadn't yet recalled her breath. When she did so she went into a painful coughing fit. Toad was unsympathetic.

She regained her breath and spoke somewhat raspily, "Despite what is said, no matter how many agree… or disagree, no mater what you say or believe, nothing can be unfailingly proven true… or untrue." She went over to the sink to wash the spit off her neck; she wasn't angry with him, she recognized this for what it was, Toad being himself, just as twisted and ugly on the inside as the out.

She had met many a young mutant with a sever physical mutation, he had reason to be the way her was.

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	8. Chapter oo8

**Prayer of the Refugee**

Did I mention this thing was for mature audiences?

_Chapter oo8_

They heard the helicopter long before they saw it and, irritatingly enough, they had to make a brief ten minute hike to get to a spot where the damn thing could land and pick them up.

"Hello John," Natalya greeted, somewhat fondly, "It is about time you got here."

John was some sort of Spanish mix, dark eyed, dark haired, dark skinned. "I did the best I could, Nat."

"I know, you did well."

He looked around her to Toad. "Who's your friend?"

She smiled at him oddly, "Mortimer Toynbee, but you would know him as Toad I imagine."

She knew his name? Had known his name? Wait, that was right, she had read his file, whatever Stryker knew about him, she would. He looked to the pilot who had removed his goggles to get a better look. A subdued fear was evident on his features which made the mutant smirk. That was something he was used to, liked even in an odd way.

"Are you serious?" he didn't really need to ask, Toad was every bit what he had ever been described to be. (John was not among those that had come into contact with any of the Brotherhood.) "Nat, we can't take him, wh-" Natalya was bearing down on him with all the fierceness of a starving wolf happening upon an injured rabbit.

"What is our mission?" she demanded with firm authority in her voice.

John flinched and sat up a bit straighter. "To give aid to those who need it at whatever expense, no matter who or what they are. To be completely indiscriminate, and to do our best to unite humans and mutants," he quoted obediently.

Toad smirked, what an impossible mission. Oh well, best to aim high. Seeming satisfied, Natalya climbed into the copter, and John turned around respectively, putting his goggles back on but not without first stealing one last look at Toad. The Russian held out her hand to him, realizing he would need help getting in before he did. She patiently held her hand there while he attempted to figure out a way to get in on his own.

One failed attempt and he begrudgingly took her hand. He didn't complain about it which was a first.

The Russian acted more professionally after snapping at John, sat up straighter, spoke with the sound of someone in high authority which he found vexing. She pulled it off well, but it did not become her. Still, he listened to her report intently. It was obvious she was leaving things out. She was probably friends with this guy, but he was not the one she was to report to, it was probably more to ease his mind. Or at least entertain him.

They were met by about seven people when they landed. Three in crisp, white uniforms were clearly medical staff and probably there for him. That unnerved him, he liked nothing about hospitals. Two in the group were obvious mutants, another just a young by clinging to one of their legs, but appearing outwardly human, and the final person stood out from the rest for the sheer sense of power and authority that seemed to drip off of him.

He wasn't physically impressive, he didn't have the amount of muscle Toad did, he was taller, but not all that tall, brown haired, brown eyed. For all appearances he was perfectly… average. His looks weren't at all impressive either.

And yet Natalya leaped into his arms, kissing him fervently. He returned the eager kisses with equal vigor, spinning her around then setting her down gently, their lips hardly leaving each others. They pulled away and looked at each other, eyes full to the brim with happiness and love.

It utterly disgusted Mortimer.

He pried his eyes away from the sickening sight of the pair and climbed out of the copter, landing hard on his good leg. Two of the nurses immediately went to him, the youngest hanging back nervously. Their other three onlookers went over to Natalya, wide eyed and gesturing towards him. One of the women, a portly middle-aged woman, took a grip on his arm that he found akin to an angry nun's. (Look, if you ever went to a Catholic school you'll get it) Out of reflex more than anything he grabbed her arm and twisted it, earning him a surprised shout.

Realizing what he did, he slowly let her go. "Don' touch me," he hissed the warning.

She nodded, rubbing her arm and giving him a very hard look. The other didn't touch him, having heard his warning.

"Michael, call off the hounds," he heard Natalya say.

"Okay, okay, Since you've all gotten to oggle the newcomer, it's time to leave him alone. You all have duties to attend to, get attending," Michael said, making a shooing motion with his free hand. The other was wrapped around Natalya's waist.

To Toad's annoyance the nurses didn't take the command to apply to them.

"He is okay enough ladies. One of you take him to medbay, the other two of you have other things to do and you should do them. This is a strong on, he needs no extra coddling. Tess," the youngest one looked to her, the one that was very obviously scared of him, "I want his leg set properly, x-rays taken, and I want someone to give him some anti-biotics, I don't like the way his lungs are starting to sound. Call me if he requires any sort of serious treatment. Today he is the only top priority in medbay today, understand?" She nodded. "As long as all this is okay with you, Toad."

"Do I really have a choice?" she demanded coldly.

Her eyes gleamed in a way he had not seen before and she was smiling. "Yes."

"Well… I 'cept," he said offhandedly, "But I ain't takin' off none o my clothes, they can do it all as it is."

She was skeptical, how was one to set a leg and put a cast around his leg if he was wearing pants."

"Very well, Tess, answer to his every requirement, overstep none of his boundaries," Michael started to lead her away, but she stopped, "Also, take him down to the supply room and give him whatever he wants and a room. In fact, have someone take what he wants to his room and send him to my room when you are done."

She looked to Michael and grinned, "But take your time." He picked her up bridal style and left the room. Now it was only Toad and the young blonde nurse.

The little blonde stared at her feet, refusing to look at him, "Um… follow me."

He had a cast on his leg now, and it was a damn irritating feeling, and the crutches were killing his arms, but he couldn't continue to hop around on one leg all the time. From what he had seen of the place it was something like a military base; with it's cement floors and cold clinic white walls, but as he was shown to Natalya's room, things got warmer and more homelike.

Natalya lay in bed smoking, clearly naked under the deep, crimson colored sheets. Toad snorted the heavy, musky scent of sex out of his nose; Mystique was always naked so he was nonplused by her state of undress. The room was draped with expensive looking imitation rugs, and cushions, a four poster bed took up most of the free space.

He was surprised at how small a space it was.

His guide seemed unbothered by Natalya too, apparently this wasn't unusual. The shower was running, that was probably where Michael was.

"Michael can not stand it when I smoke, so I have given it up," her eyes smiled at him, "Except after really great sex."

He grunted, shifting his weight on the crutched uncomfortably.

"You can sit down if you like," she said, motioning to an overstuffed armchair by the door. She put the cigarette out on the nightstand and stood, the sheets falling away from her naked body. Perhaps he wasn't as nonplused as he thought.

His body reacted as any mans would have. "Do you think you will stay here for a time? I have no problem with helping you get back to the Brotehrhood."

"After wot 'appened they'll be hidin' for a bit," was his simple reply. He didn't say they wouldn't want him as he was.

She started rummaging through the big oak chest on her side of the bed. He tried not to stare, his attraction to her disgusted him.

"So I will help you contact them later then, perhaps in three weeks when you are fully healed?" she closed the space between them, clothes in one hand, the other trailing down his chest when she was near enough. "Would you ever consider joining us instead? I believe you would enjoy it here if you knew what it was like."

He stared at her large, pert breasts, hardly comprehending what she said. When he processed the words he shook his head; she was trying to seduce him, use her body to get him to join the cause. How many times in the past had she probably done this?

"No," he growled, standing up and pushing her away and getting his crutched.

"I ask that you do not answer until you have spent time with us. I would not ask for an answer before the end of the week."

"Believe me, ya don' want me on yer team." The door slammed shut behind him.

"It doesn't matter what I want, Mortimer Toynbee…"

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	9. Chapter oo9

**Prayer of the Refugee**

Did I mention this thing was for mature audiences?

_Chapter oo9_

Mortimer took a small, crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. The girl who had shown him to his room had given it to him. On it was his room number; 278 which was a good long ways from Natalya's 225. It was one floor up, actually. This he liked, having to climb a long flight of stairs because there was no elevator, however, he did not like so much.

"You seem to be glowing, love, can I ask why you're so happy?" Michael inquired, taking her into his arms.

"Toad was just here," she answered shortly. Funny, she did not feel happy at all.

"I thought you didn't like him."

"I do not."

"Ah, so he agreed to join us?"

Natalya shook her head, "No, he will be a hard one to convince."

"Just imagine it though, if he were to join us, someone like him; his skills, his past, his looks even. He'd be iconic. What it would do for our cause…" He nuzzled the side of her neck.

"I know, I know, you have said that already."

"Well, I've got to get going, John won't wait forever."

Natalya frowned then, feeling an invisible knife plunge into her heart. "When will you be back again."

"Soon. Love, two weeks at most. Work on Toad, will you? Do whatever you have to except… well, you know."

She turned and caught his lips, kissing him deeply, "I am yours alone, Michael; mind, body, heart, and soul. Do have faith, won't you?"

Natalya knocked lightly on his door, she'd brought him dinner since he had not been around for lunch. Unsurprising since he didn't know where the mess hall was. Did so many idiots work for her? And the fact that his room was up two flights of stairs? Utter idiocy. Apparently the lot of her staff did not have two ounces of sense between them.

Or maybe they had only wanted to get rid of Toad in a hurry. An icon indeed, a foul-tempered, ugly one.

But Natalya did not question Michael. Out of love or respect she didn't know. Michael had made his want of Mortimer more than clear, and he would have him if the task was left to her. He saw something great in Toad; she saw a good fighter and tech whiz at best, but one whose temperament and unstable mind was far too dangerous to keep around. He would never be more an asset than a threat.

His present way of proving irritating was refusing to open the door. Frowning deeply in annoyance and impatience, she pushed curtsey aside and just opened the door. None of the doors had locks here.

He lay on the bed looking oddly contorted. It had probably been difficult getting to sleep with a cast on, still, she had pegged him for an early riser, sick or well. As much as he liked to be contrary to everything anyway.

Even in his sleep he appeared tense, and waking him would be best done gently she supposed. You do not wake a bear by whacking it in the head with a stick after all; and for all appearances, Toad was much more dangerous than any bear.

"Toad? You should wake up now," she kept her distance from the bed and spoke softly. "Toad?"

He abruptly shifted and she flinched. "Toad?" she tried again, a bit louder. A grunt from him then. "Mortimer."

He woke up then, "S'not Mortimer," he glared at her blearily through the veil of sleep, face still half buried in his pillow, "S'Toad." He was obviously less suspicious of her, but now that struck her as odd. He was in a strange place surrounded by strange people. "Wot do you want?"

"I brought you dinner. You missed lunch," she chirped her answer happily, smiling at him. It was too happy for her, he knew better than to think she was happy to be there. Toad was yet to change clothes, and he still smelled something terrible, but she sat down next to him on the bed with her offering of food.

He heaved a heavy sigh and pushed himself up into a sitting position, wincing a little as he did so. Half-heartedly he had hoped he could spend his time her unbothered and then go back to the Brotherhood when he had healed, but once want of him here had been expressed, he knew he would not be left alone until he agreed to stay or left. He was perceptive enough to know that she was here to do more than bring him dinner as she held the tray out to him. Words were clearly pressing at her lips behind that all too genuine looking fake smile.

"Jist say it, ask it, wotever it is." He grudgingly took the tray from her, eyes not leaving her face. Natalya was forced to give some respect for him then; the gaze he held was an intensely hard look only a warrior could muster and with glowing with the analytical intelligence or a scholar. A spark of madness gleamed over top all that, making his gold-black eyes oddly bright.

Her steady gaze seemed to irritate him after a few moments and he narrowed his eyes, mouth pulling into a scowl. She clearly wasn't wearing anything under that tight-fitted blouse she wore. Her ample breasts strained against the buttons and her nipples pressed hard against the fabric. Her leather pants clung to her long shapely legs until just below the knee and he doubted she wore anything under those either. Someone in her position should have had more respect for herself than to do this to attract members. Did she fuck them all too?

She wanted something from him, and seduction was the first thing she was going to resort to. Disgusting, even for a human.

"Do you want a tour of the base?" she asked, her voice getting a silky quality to it all of a sudden, "If you are not feeling up to the task I will leave you alone. This facility is fairly large, I would not think it weak of you to decline in your present position. It is simply that I believe you should know about the goings on here since I have extended an invitation to you."

"Told ya already, I ain't interested in joinin' ya," he snarled.

She was unaffected still. Most people cowered before him _without_ knowing who he was and he had only incited fear in her once. Once! It was outrageous. "And I told you not to make an uninformed decision."

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	10. Chapter o10

_**Prayer of the Refugee**_

_See? Cool._

_Chapter oo10_

"You know wot? Fine, I'll take the bloody tour," he conceded; there wasn't much reason for him not to, although he wasn't looking forward to being gawked at.

She clapped her hands together, "Excellent. Will you be wanting to shower and change first, I'd hope new clothes were among the supplies you chose." She certainly hope her would want to bathe, she wasn't sure she could stand that smell for too long. Or at least didn't want to.

He cut his eyes at her, but didn't say a thing, simply got up and grabbed a change of clothes from the somewhat random pile of junk in the corner. It was the only thing that gave the room any sort of personality at all. When he disappeared behind the bathroom door, Natalya gave a relieve sigh, happy to be away from him. She put the food tray outside the door and proceeded to lay down on his bed, hiking up her shirt just so. She'd done things like this enough times now, that she didn't even have to think about it, and with her body, she had never had to try to hard.

People were dumbfounded about why she was with Michael since he was so… average, but it was because her tactics had never worked on him, because he was the only person who her looks didn't effect, even if it was only because his mutation essentially made him blind. The world to him was more what it was to a snake, but she hadn't known that when she fell for him. Not that it made her love him any less.

If anything, she pitied him for what she would see as a great loss. Proving he was a better person than herself, he assured her it was more of an asset in the over all.

She didn't believe her could be happy to have essentially lost the world.

Toad wasn't thinking about anything at all particular while he roughly washed his hair. His biggest ponderence was over the fact that they had had a soap in stock that he could even fricking use.

His thought, however, did soon start to change course. What was she doing now? He doubted she had left the room. Rifling through the things he'd picked out so she could see if she could get some ideas on how to charm him? No, that would have been too obvious, she'd check the supply list if she really wanted to know.

He got out an fumbled with his new clothes; a long-sleeved shirt, a pull-over, blue jeans, much less than what he was accustomed to wearing, but his options were limited, and he would naturally need to change clothes again eventually.

When he was satisfied, he exited, hands immediately disappearing into his pockets. Although they came right back out when he realized he needed to lean on things to limp across the room. Yes, she was still there, laying on his bed with the extent of her midriff exposed. After seeing her naked, he already considered himself acquainted with her body. She was a beautiful woman, that was undeniable.

"Your staring," she sat up slowly, smirking at him slightly.

"Jist wonderin' why your on my bed when you got one o yer own."

"Oh, is that it." She smiled knowingly, did she really think he was that easy? Or maybe she just thought he was hard up and wouldn't notice how obvious this all was. Well… okay… he was rather hard up, it'd been a good long while since he'd had a girl. Okay, so he had never had a girl.

But he wasn't stupid for Christ's sake.

Then again… he could easily play the part. So she was human, yeah, but if he was ever going to get to sleep with someone… she was not really all that unappealing of a choice, and if she thought that would nail him as switching sides… She might just go for it.

If nothing else it'd be an amusing go-around.

"So are you ready."

"Whenever you are, pet," he said, motioning to the door.

She eyed his cast. "You know, if you wanted to, we could just get you a wheelch-"

He shook his head, "Dun need it."

Were his eyes always glaring? Was it a permanent state for him? She should have known he would take it as an insult. "It was only a suggestion. I am trying to make your life easier, not insult you. You have nothing to prove about your strength you know."

No reply. She was getting used to that; how he chose to answer only what he wanted. "Then come with me."

Did it make her a bad person to have wanted so badly to push him down the stairs just so they could get a move on? He probably would have lived.

"And this is the mess hall, it is sort of like a mall food court, but… we do not have the benefit of a Pizza Hut." That wasn't the first joke she'd attempted so far, but it was one more he hadn't laughed at, or even smiled. His presence was getting to be so vexing, not even she could hold such a secure scowl for so long. She wouldn't admit her jokes sucked, but then again she probably didn't realize. Men had a tendency to find any joke hilarious if told by a woman, and women usually laughed out of courtesy.

It didn't really matter anyway, Toad wasn't listening to a thing she said. A game room, an arcade, the living area, the common room, nothing of interest.

"Fine, how about I show you the garage. If nothing else you should take well to TecH despite yourself."

That he had heard, and in spite of himself, he visibly perked up.

"Ah, should have just taken you there first I guess," she grinned, "This way."

Some overly mechanized military vehicles, a jet, the extra copter, a wall lined with random gear for navigation and tracking, a few of TecH's unfinished projects, the random half gutted scrap he'd commandeered parts from (a few, she noticed, without permission), and a few thing's he'd been enlisted to fix. Certainly nothing she found interesting.

"They're gonna need a home run to even have a chance at this game…"

She had to roll her eyes at how obnoxiously lout he had that radio again. "Here, TecH's in here, you should like him even if you hate everyone else in this place." He followed her into a dimly lit side room, and he almost smiled at the sight of the wires, monitors, and glowing panels around him. A kid was at the very end of the room with a coffee maker in his lap, tinkering with the interior.

Natalya turned his radio off, and he immediately whipped around, ready to chew out whoever did it. He stopped when he saw it was her. The kid couldn't have been more than seventeen.

"You will get over missing the game, I am sure. I brought you someone who can make a radio out of a microwave, a coffee maker, and a speaker."

So he'd used more than that, he wasn't going to correct her.

"Really?" TecH looked to him, glasses reflecting the bluish glow of the monitors, "How well did it work."

"We're here ain't we, kid?"

"Well that's inarguable, however, it doesn't mean your radio was very good."

Again Natalya rolled her eyes, but presently, the terrorist and the seventeen year old were locked in a staring contest.

"Ya ain't very smart, are ya kid. Ya shouldn't pick fight's with guys who're stronger than you."

"I'm not picking a fight, I just suggested that your work might be shotty. Of course, with limited materials-" Toad snatched the coffee maker from him and just about as fast as he had grabbed it, he plugged it in and showed that it was working.

Natalya clapped TecH on the shoulder, "You may have competition, I'm pretty sure he just fixed that in under three seconds."

TecH adjusted his glasses, "Not like I didn't already do most of the work."

"Give me yer hardest job then."

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	11. Chapter o11

**Prayer of the Refugee**

Sort… yeah, next one'll be cooler.

_Chapter o11_

Hell, if she'd known friendly competition and challenge was all it took to get him to do something other than sit around and scowl she'd have challenged him to thumb wrestling ages ago. And if she'd known she could get two weeks of TecH's work out of the way in two hours, she'd have taken him here first.

TecH was almost crying, "He's a god, Natalya, you've brought me a technological god."

She wasn't sure if he was joking of if he was really that in awe of Toad. "It is not such a bog deal, TecH, but if he joins us, you do realize that you will be out of a job."

"You mean he's not already a member?"

"Well, no, not exactly."

"Blasphemy! He's gotta join, Natty!"

How she hated nicknames… and teenagers. The only bigger thorn in her side was Loki, but luckily she wasn't prowling around.

TecH's pointless-and loud-exclamation was enough to make Toad remove his head from the jet's engine to see what they were doing. "Well that is up to him, but I will do what I can to convince him if you will. I have a feeling he will want to come by and visit. Keep some spare projects for him around or something," she told him, growing slightly irritated. She'd never like kids.

"You really think he'll come down here? No one comes down here! That'd be… that'd be… SO COOL! Do you think he'd teach me."

"I am sure that I do not know, ask him yourself," she snapped.

Toad grabbed a rag and wiped some of the grease off his hands, staring at them and looking quite unhappy. "Ya know, it's pretty rude to talk about a bloke like he ain't around when 'e's in earshot."

TecH blushed a bit in embarrassment, but Natalya simply smiled that charming, rehearsed smile of hers. "It is actually nearly lights out, You do not have to follow curfew, but I would prefer it if the two of you were to follow the rules. I will not chastise you however if you chose to stay up and spend time with our guest, TecH."

They certainly had a lot of rules here. A curfew, really?

"And feel free to roam where you will, Toad, I am not about to attempt to cage you," Natalya told him, "and should you need me, you know which room is mine. Breakfast is at eight, I hope to see you then."

Toad was surprised she left him after expressing such an interest in wanting to be the one to draw him in. Maybe something about this was just the way she was.

"I'll finish up on the jet tomorrow, kid, go to bed."

TecH nodded and moved a few boxes out of the way to get to his cot. Damn obedient little buggar.

Natalya and Michael apparently tried very hard to keep everything as fair as possible, which made his sleeping arrangements seem odd. Then again, from what he knew of the kid so far, he probably asked to sleep down here.

"Goodnight… uh… Toad."

He knew he should have bid the kid the same, but those words, just hearing them sounding so sincere was almost scary. And to say them? Pfft… So he pretended he hadn't heard them.

This place was strange.

He wandered for a while, lights out was quite liberally lights out here. The only place with any lights still on was the arcade, and the only people in there was two teens who took one look at him and bolted. Ah normalcy.

All the games were free and he played Mortal Kombat for the next three hours, falling into the mindless, digital violence. He put his initials into the high score list for about the twentieth time before heading up to bed.

Natalya apparently didn't trust him to show up to breakfast, and appeared to collect him at seven thirty the next morning, this time in a midriff top and shorts. She was bolder than the day before and didn't start her wake-up call at a whisper.

He politely told her to piss off and leave him the fuck alone, but she only smile and sat down on the edge of his bed. What was wrong with these people?

Her long, black hair fell over one eye attractively when she leaned forward to look at him. Then again, he had not yet been able to find one physically unattractive thing about her. "Not a morning person?"

"Jist go away, damn commie," he snapped.

She found it genuinely hilarious when he called her that. "Okay, I will come check on you again at nine if your not up."

"Okay?"

"Yes, I will not force you to do anything you do not want to, it merely occurred to me that you did not have an alarm clock and I did not want you to sleep through breakfast of you wanted it."

"Oh," he didn't know what else to say.

Xx-_Please_ Review,-xX


	12. Chapter o12

**Prayer of the Refugee**

Thanks to Gremblin for pointing this out. Anon. reviews are now allowed!

_Chapter o12_

"In an hour then," she bade him farewell and left him alone. He rolled over, but couldn't seem to get comfortable again. The lot of all this was unsettling, the way he was being treated here…

With Magneto he had never really been disallowed to do anything, had been left to himself. This place had rules, sure, but from what he gathered, they might not have so much have been rules as stressed suggestions for the most part, and he'd had more regular personal contact with people the past three days than he had in the past three months. Things here were… different.

For the most part, people seemed to skitter out of his way here, just as anywhere else, but until now he hadn't been completely sure if it was sonly because of him or partially Natalya that they immediately cast their eyes downwards and scampered away. For all appearances the Russian seemed very friendly, very charming, but she had quite a bit of power that she was fully capable of using, and such things tended to keep people skittish. By the wide-eyed stares, it was obvious who among them recognized the green mutant for who he was.

He gave up trying to get comfortable again, and got up to take a shower.

If nothing else, having Natalya flirting with him and that kid TecH fawning over him all yesterday, he was feeling thoroughly ill at ease. This kind of treatment was something foreign, and he wasn't sure if he liked it.

Natalya re-appeared in exactly an hour to more or less collect him. While he heard her knocking, he ignored it and she only tried twice before coming in.

She felt a twinge of annoyance at seeing him laying there awake, staring off into space. "Why did you not answer me?"

"Didn' want to get up."

She huffed a little, but quickly forced the feeling of annoyance away, "Well, if you are up to it, I hoped to speak with you over breakfast."

" 'Bout wot?"

She shrugged, "This, that, the other."

He knew exactly what she wanted to talk about; him staying there and why he should do it. And as annoying as it all was, she wasn't going to drop the subject no matter how many times he said 'no'. Determined as she was, the offer was almost seeming a demand.

"You sure I ain't missed breakfast? I thought it was at eight. Tha's one o the rules ain't it," he asked bordly, looking more for an excuse to keep conversation off his staying or going than anything.

She quirked an eyebrow, "Eight is the preferred time for everyone to eat, but it is not required. I like for things to be regular and scheduled but at the same time I do not want to force people to-"

"Do things they dun wanna do, I got it," he finished, "Well ain't you a peach."

Natalya blinked at the rather vicious tone he had used for the statement. "I am not quite sure why you feel such a need to attack people. If you are going to do it, perhaps you should make sure they deserve it, and make it physical. Not that I am trying to incite violence, but attacking someone with words and harsh tones is stupid and childish."

Most people would have said fighting physically over trivial matters was childish too, but the Russian had always known it to be the way to prove who was right in the situation.

"Why's that?"

"Because if it comes down to an argument, both sides are subjective, in all reality there is never a right or wrong because everything is really an opinion. In a war, you are always fighting for the side that is right, but how can both sides be right? It is subjective. In my opinion, whoever is stronger is the one that has the right to claim that they are the 'right' side."

Long, round-a-bout, a little wordy, a little random, but he understood.

And it made sense.

She was too smart to be doing what she was. He wasn't sure what went on in her head, but it must have been moving a mile a minute for her to pop off with the things she did. Maybe it was just something about being a woman.

" 'Ave it your way, you think I'd be better off 'ere, and I think I'd be better off wit the Brotherhood. When it come's down ta it," he told her, "we'll spar."

In a fight against him, she could never win but she was not about to contradict herself; it was a matter of pride now. In the end she figured she could change his mind anyway. For him to spar, he would have to have healed, for him to have healed, he would have had to have been there for at least three weeks. That was enough time.

"Whatever you wish." They shook on it. "Now, are you coming to breakfast or not?"

"Only if ya agree you'll stop tryin' to convince me ta join ya."

"No promises."

"You know, it would typically take TecH a few weeks to do all the work you did yesterday in just a few hours," Natalya told him, locking eyes with him.

Toad shrugged one shouldered, finishing off his food, " 'E's jist a kid, 'e'll get better… with time"

The Russian was sure to keep her gaze steady when she spoke next, "You know, he would get to be a lot better a lot faster if he were to have a teacher." He frowned, and opened his mouth to protest her prodding, but she held up her hand to stop him, "I am not asking you to stay and do it, merely saying. It is just something for you to consider towards staying here."

She broke her gaze, "I am not going to lie to you and say that I am not doing all that I can to persuade you to stay here, because I am. There is nothing wrong with that, we could really use you, and I think… I think you might possibly be happier here than with the Brotherhood," she stated quietly, "Do not take any offence from that, it is only what I think is true."

"You should really stop tryin', Natalya," he muttered, getting up and limping off to who knows where. She didn't follow, she would leave him alone for now.

It was funny, she kind of liked the way he said her name.

Must have been his accent.

Xx-_Please_ Review, guys. It really encourages one to update.-xX


	13. Chapter o13

**Prayer of the Refugee**

Look, I know nothing about this stuff, I just write what sounds good. Lol.

_Chapter o13_

Toad limped to the garage, at least he could find the same form of solace here that he had had back with the Brotherhood, he could always go mess around with the tech equipment. He didn't have much work left to do on that jet before it would be running again, it was almost unfortunate really, as that was a fairly enjoyable project.

He got there without incident, mildly surprised he hadn't taken a wrong turn through the maze of halls. Leaning his crutched against the wall by the doorframe, he rolled his shoulders uncomfortably and turned to the craft in question. A pair of legs dangled out of the open engine hatch and he figured it to be TecH tinkering around in which case he wasn't bothered. From what the Brit had gathered, the kid knew his stuff and was probably fully capable of fixing it on his own.

Eventually anyway.

He opened his mouth to ask the teen how much he'd gotten done but abruptly stopped when he saw a mess of very essential parts scattered across the floor and more on their way to join them. "'Ey, wot the fuck are ya doin?! Are ya daft?!"

The gremlin in question peeked out just enough to look at him. She stared for a moment and pushed off the craft and hung in the air grinning at him little too broadly for his liking.

It was a girl, despite her pixie hair-cut and boy's clothes, it was defiantly a girl. Although her thin, lanky frame did not sport much of a feminine curve, especially in her present clothing.

"Who are you? Git outta here!" he demanded in the fiercest tone he could muster. She giggle and zipped towards him, floating upside down above him, but keeping at his eye-level. She giggled.

"Who are you? I've never seen YOU here before, only Techie!" Her eyes were bright and her voice was light and childish, but her body put her age at somewhere around twenty-one.

"I think I asked you first," Toad snarled.

"Yeah, ya did. You actually asked me more than one question," she told him, as if it was something she had had to remind him of a hundred times. "I don't like questions… Why are you green? Are you like a plant? Venus and Ivy are green and they're like plants!" she chirped, abruptly changing her tune. "But you don't have any flowers like them. So you like… what… mold then?" She laughed at the thought and righted herself.

He'd dealt with all kinds of people in his life, normies, mutants, crazies, but this one was sort of worrying him. "Cor, I thought ya didn't like questions.'

She rolled her eyes and spun in a little circle. It seemed odd seeing her hovering about like that with no sort of aid. What was her power exactly?

"I don't like questions when they're for ME, duh."

She circled him a few more times, looking him over and getting just a little bit higher with each completed circle. Just when she opened her mouth to speak again, he grabbed her ankle and yanked her out of the air.

However, instead of the satisfying thud of her hitting the floor, he heard an obnoxious pop noise and she was hovering a good six feet over his head.

"Well that wasn't nice! I'm telling Natalya!"

He repeated the action with his tongue and it startled her enough that she did hit the floor. Hard.

"Go ahead," he challenged.

Instead of whining or teleporting off, she made a rather shrill, obnoxious noise that weirdly seemed to denote delight. "You're a FROG!"

She was way too pleased about that revelation.

"Go away, Loki.. Please. Leave him alone, he's a guest," TecH's voice came from the side room, low and cautious.

Had he been there the whole time? Had he LET her destroy the engine like that? Why would he do that?

The girl stuck her tongue out at him, but disappeared.

"Sorry… about her," TecH told him sheepishly, "She's always doing that; coming down here and messing with stuff."

"Do somethin' 'bout it, then," Toad snarled.

TecH flinched staring down at his shoes rather hard, "I can't, she's Loki. Loki is… well, Michael calls her a force of nature. I think that's about right." The teen was nervous without Natalya here; he admired Toad for his technological prowess, but he didn't know the guy, and he was quite imposing up close even if TecH had a good five inches on him as far as height.

The Brit snorted, "Pick up all this junk then, if it's broken, chuck it, if not, bring it over to me."

"So, you a mutant?" Toad asked offhandedly. He wasn't trying to spark a conversation, he was just trying to put to bed a curiosity.

Too bad the people here were a talkative lot.

"Yeah, I am," TecH told him proudly, "I can magnetize just about anything metal. I'd show you, but there's a lot of sensitive stuff in here and all."

A simple yes or no would have been sufficient.

"Um… if you don't mind my asking, what are your powers? I mean, I saw the tongue thing, but… can you do anything else?" the teen asked eagerly.

"Look kid, if ya needed to know, I'd tell ya. But you don't, so I won't," Toad snapped, "And a word of advise, dun tell people what yer powers are. Don't let anyone know until yer usin it against em, that way they can't prepare for it."

It was good advise admittedly, but TecH was only sort of weirded out by it. "Oh… okay."

They worked in silence for all of ten minutes before TecH felt the need to speak again. "Did your… um… did your parents kick you out when they found out about you?"

The Brit mentally flinched, such a weak spot to stab at, "Yeah." His voice had no tone, no anger, no sadness, it intrigued the teen.

"Me too. I mean, I know I look normal and everything, but my dad caught me using my powers and-"

"Cor, shut up, kid."

He did so and there was silence for another good ten minutes.

"My older brother was normal you know, human." Toad only narrowly resisted the urge to punch him. "Man, we used to hang out all the time, usually we played video games. I mean, most brother's fight and stuff, but he was like, my best friend… actually," TecH laughed, but there was no humor in it, "he was my only friend. I used to think he just felt sorry for me, but I think I know better now. I wish he was here, I mean, the closest think I got to a friend here is Loki."

"Kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut. Up."

"Okay."

"………….. Kid… ya wanna go up to the arcade?"

Xx-_Please_ **Review**, guys.-xX


	14. Chapter o14

**Prayer of the Refugee**

Well I liked this chapter, and I'd like to know if YOU liked this chapter.

_Chapter o14_

They played a good ten rounds before Toad started letting him win. TecH, determined he was just finally getting the hang of 'Mortal Kombat', started cheering himself on. He grinned at the Brit who only managed a grimace in response. He'd conceded to eating lunch with the kid too, although they returned to the garage for that. TecH chattered endlessly and Toad said nothing at all which didn't matter much. TecH just wanted someone to listen.

When the ceaseless chattered started to wear on him, he cut the teen off and said he was going to his room for a bit and he'd be back later. Like when his growing migraine wore off, though he didn't tell him that 'd no sooner laid out on the bed that Natalya appeared in his doorway. He went to voice his annoyance, but any heat towards her blightent disregard for someone's privacy dissipated when he saw what she held. She grinned at him, setting the wine bottles and glasses down on his nightstand.

"Wot's the occasion?" he asked, mildly curious.

"Your finishing up the work on the jet," she chirped.

"That's bull, s'not even done yet," he snapped, "'Sides, tha's jist chore work."

She popped the first bottle open, "Your right of course. This is really a think you for finally dragging TecH out of his cave," she winked at him, "That and I have really been fishing for an excuse to drink this."

As she reached for a glass to pour it in, his tongue deftly snatched the bottle from her grasp and deposited it in his own hands. Grinning devilishly, he took a long drink.

Had he really just tried to be funny? "That is not the way one appreciates good wine," she chided.

"Maybe not, but we got four more bottles and I'm sure somewhere 'long tha' line I'll start appreciatin' it."

She left him to it and opened another bottle, ignoring the glasses. Much to his amusement, he noticed her grip was white-knuckled around the bottle.

"Or maybe I don care cause I like annoyin' ya."

"Well that is too bad, because I, sir, am not feeling annoyed in the least."

"Buggar it then, I tried," he took another long swig and she mirrored the action. "S'gettin that TecH kid outta the basement really a big deal?"

"Sort of... he never leaves. Short of ordering him to, I have never gotten him to come out, myself."

"Why?"

"Why what? Why will he not or why is it important?" He only inclined his head slightly in answer. "Well, TecH is not exactly... popular. In fact, most people are really unnerved by him. He can magnetize metals, but he repels people."

Mort certainly hadn't found anything to dislike about the kid except that he talked way too much, and part of that was just from being alone all the time. He, himself, had never been much of a chatterbox, but he could more or less understand. Time with a lot that needed to be told and no one to tell it to, he'd just buried it all so deep it couldn't claw it's way back up.

"He needs someone, I go visit him, but I have a lot to do generally in the coarse of a day. besides, he needs someone he can relate to. I don't know anything about baseball or any of that mechanical equipment down there and that's all he knows. I tried getting into the sport, at least tried to grasp it, but I will admit that I failed spectacularly. TecH... he had a really hard life before coming here... he needs a friend."

She was quiet for a long moment. "He at least needs someone besides Loki."

"Loki... she's that strange one, not all there."

Natalya gave a short bark of a laugh at that given the one who had said it. When it came to crazy people, the brit had little room to talk. "No, she's the thorn in my side, the bane of my existence, the demon sent from the bowls of hell itself to torment me," she took a long pull of wine at the end of this.

"Then kick 'er out."

"There would be no point; Loki is Loki. Se is like a-"

"Lemme guess, a 'force of nature'," he finished boredly, "Look, ya can still kick 'er out, force of Nature or no."

"You do not know Loki. And... in a weird way, I think there is a good reason for why she is here. Besides, without her, to many this place would not be the same, even if she so torments everyone. we are all so used to it it is routine i am sad to say."

Toad rolled his eyes; keeping that girl around for no reason other than her sabotage was 'routine' was idiocy.

They talked on an off for an hour, the less wine there was, the more talk there was. They actually went to Natalya's room for her store of vodka and did a few shots. Pretty soon she was sitting on his lap with her arm around his neck and they were singing.

Natalya's voice was strong, but not exactly pretty, and Toad's rough tenor did nothing to compliment it."Pej pivo na zarePej pivo pered snomPej pivo na travePej pivo za stolomPej pivo natoschakPej pivo so hmelyaPej pivo prosto takPej kak Avariya!Pej pivo!"

"Ya know, luv, we're not drinkin'... drinkin' beer.""I can't... I can't... you speak Russian?"Toad started laughing, "You said 'can't'." Even in his right fram of mind that would have been interesting to him he had not known the Russian girl to use any sort of laughed too, not quite knowing why, and leaned in to kiss him. He caught her lips eagerly, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. She imeadiatly deepened the 'd never kissed a willing woman quickly picked her up and hobbled over to the bed, dropping her on it roughly. Looking back it would be surprising that he even made it to the bed on his cast. She caught his lips again and he tangled one hand in her hair, the other starting to travel all over her body. The Russian mimicked his actions and he didn't even flinch when she started to take off his black vest, he actually helped her. She then started after his shirt and he started in on quickly he grew flustered with the red garb and ripped it open, exposing her bare chest to him. The heat in his body rose immensely, and he cupped the finely sculpted globes, leaning back to admire them much to Natalya's protest. She pulled him onto the bed and he straddled her, again kissing her fiercely, but quite abruptly he got that in a tunnel feeling. Soon Natalya seemed very far away, then there was nothing.

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